Location Based Services (LBSs) include electronic systems that provide the capability to find the location of a mobile electronic device and provide services based on this location information. For example, some LBS systems can deliver a geographical location of a mobile user or object, or other objects, to other users or computers via an electronic communication link, such as the Internet and/or a wireless network.
LBS systems can also be used in more confined areas, such as a retail store. A typical problem for a customer shopping in a retail store is locating the items that are of interest to the customer. For example, customers in a store must locate items, then take the items to the checkout area for purchase. Difficulties in locating items are compounded by unfamiliar stores, by changes in the store layout, etc. A LBS system can be used by customers to locate themselves within the store and used by store managers for security, inventory or for tracking customer purchase.
One type of LBS system that can be used within a retail store is an infrared LBS system. Infrared emitters or “beacons” can be placed in several locations within the store and each can emit a different identification, i.e., identification data, which indicates a unique identification for that particular emitter. While shopping in the store, a customer can bring along and access a moveable or portable client device, such as a personal digital assistant, cellular phone, a device residing on a shopping cart or basket, or other device, which can receive the emitted infrared identification information from the emitter via an IR port. The location identification data can be processed at the client device, or at a central server that is in communication with the client device, e.g., wirelessly, to access a database of store location information and use the detected emitter identification to find the location of that emitter in the store. This indicates the client device's location in the store, which can then be provided to the customer or user. For example, the user's current location on a map of the store layout can be displayed on a display screen of the client device or a connected display screen, allowing the user to quickly locate himself or herself within the store. Furthermore, suggested paths to desired products can be indicated on the display, those paths starting from the user's determined current location. Other usages include providing offers and information for proximate products, tracking customer shopping patterns, etc. As the customer and client device move close to other infrared emitters, those emitters' signals are received by the client device over the infrared communication link, and the client device and/or server can use that information to update the client device's location within the store.
A problem with infrared emitters and other types of emitters in such an LBS system is that the emitters often receive power from batteries. If the power in the batteries becomes drained, the emitters eventually fail. In addition, emitters may fail for other reasons, such as an emitter diode failing or another component malfunctioning. Failure of emitters is not automatically known to the system manager; the only way to know if an emitter has failed is to individually inspect each emitter device, including battery level, etc. This is time consuming and tedious, especially when many emitter devices are provided in an area such as a retail store.
Accordingly, what is needed is an apparatus and method for easily monitoring the state of a location based service infrastructure that includes emitters or beacons. The present invention addresses such a need.